By Chris Soukup, Board President of Deaf Organizations Fund 

50 years ago. That's when CSD was founded. It seems like so long ago, but in the grand scheme of things, it isn't. 

An organization lasting 50 years says a lot about the community behind it. Since the Deaf community is at the heart of what CSD does, we believe Deaf people deserve services from organizations built with them in mind. That's why we also want other Deaf organizations to have the same lasting strength and support. 

After piloting an emergency grant program during the pandemic, we formally established Deaf Organizations Fund (DOF) to support those other Deaf organizations. It quickly became one of our best decisions. 

Let me share why: 

DOF is still the only funder in the United States focused specifically on resourcing Deaf organizations. We didn't know exactly what to expect when we started, only that we needed to. Since then, nearly $700,000 has funded 42 grant projects and counting, all led by Deaf organizations across the country 

That's nearly $700,000 to build the lasting capacity of Deaf organizations and the communities they serve. 

This year alone, DOF received 148 grant applications, which was a new record. With the support of donors and partners, DOF expanded their grantmaking to distribute a total of $200,000 across 10 projects. This was the largest amount awarded to date. 

The grantees come from a wide range of missions and communities served. I invite you to learn more about each grantee and their project on DOF’s page: 2026 DOF Grantee Spotlights. 

CSD congratulates every 2026 DOF grantee and thanks the donors and partners who made this year's expansion possible. 

In summary: As the nonprofit subsidiary of CSD, DOF is the only funder in the United States that provides accessible grants and nonprofit resources to Deaf organizations. They have distributed nearly $700,000 across 42 grant projects since 2020. In 2026 alone, that included $200,000 to ten organizations. 

To support DOF's work, visit deaforganizationsfund.org.